27 Feb 2026

Kerala has completed five lakh houses under its flagship LIFE Mission housing programme, marking a major milestone in its effort to eliminate homelessness. The state has spent around INR 20,831 crore on the scheme so far, largely funded by the government and local bodies. Financial assistance of INR 4 lakh is provided to general beneficiaries, while Scheduled Tribe families receive INR 6 lakh. The announcement was made at a state-level function in Thiruvananthapuram, with remaining sanctioned houses currently under construction.Read more

27 Feb 2026

The Central government has approved 2.88 lakh additional houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban 2.0 (PMAY-U 2.0), raising the cumulative sanctioned units under the scheme to over 13.61 lakh across India. The sixth meeting of the Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC), held in New Delhi on 23 February, sanctioned 2,87,618 units spanning 16 states and union territories. Sanctions were granted under key verticals Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) (1.66 lakh), Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) (1.09 lakh) and Affordable Rental Housing (ARH) (12,846 units) designed to address affordable rental needs. A significant share of the houses has been allotted to women beneficiaries, senior citizens and socially disadvantaged groups. The CSMC also approved demonstration housing projects employing cost-effective construction technologies, and emphasised project localisation near mass transit corridors.Read more

27 Feb 2026

The Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) has come under public criticism after it began issuing application forms for high-income group (HIG) and middle-income group (MIG) flats under its Atal Apartments housing scheme without providing the accompanying project brochures that set out legal terms, pricing, payment schedules and eligibility details. Prospective buyers were required to pay INR 500 per form and submit earnest money, yet were informed that the brochure a key document for informed decision-making was unavailable and would only be released at a later date, causing confusion and administrative inconvenience for applicants. Complainants said they faced inconsistent information and had to make repeated visits for documentation, undermining confidence in the scheme's execution. LIT Chairman Tarsem Bhinder acknowledged the delay and said brochures would be made available by the coming Monday amid mounting public scepticism.Read more

Mumbai News Desk

27 Feb 2026

The proposal to install astroturf at Colaba Back Garden in south Mumbai has been withdrawn after objections from local footballers and residents. Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar clarified that the ground will retain its natural mud surface and there will be no reduction in its size. While the artificial turf plan has been shelved, basic infrastructure such as floodlights, toilets and changing rooms will be added. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will also level the ground to improve playing conditions while preserving its traditional character.Read more

27 Feb 2026

The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is facing difficulties in recovering around INR 12 crore in rental dues from leased properties due to missing records. While the corporation maintains registers of 2,737 rented shops, cabins, handcarts, and temporary spaces, many formal agreements, particularly those from before 1983, are unavailable. Over the years, some properties were sublet or transferred permanently for one-time fees without proper documentation. VMC officials have acknowledged the need to update rent structures and enhance collection methods to address this long-standing record gap effectively.Read more

26 Feb 2026

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has raised concerns over heavy congestion at municipal toll plazas across Delhi NCR and said that immediate implementation of barrier-free tolling is necessary to reduce vehicular emissions. At its recent full commission meeting, the panel reviewed a report submitted to the Supreme Court and stressed the adoption of RFID and Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems to ensure seamless traffic flow. It also approved 46 new air quality monitoring stations and examined long-term pollution trends, highlighting the need for coordinated regional action.Read more

Gurugram News Desk

26 Feb 2026

District authorities in Gurugram conducted a large-scale anti-encroachment operation along Golf Course Road that resulted in the demolition of nearly 450 illegal shanties, spread over approximately two acres of government-notified land in the Saraswati Kunj area of Sector 53. The action, carried out with police support on the weekend before last, formed part of ongoing enforcement efforts to curb unauthorised construction and encroachments that have persisted despite legal restrictions and notices. Officials stated that the structures, which lacked proper permissions and had emerged in a disputed colony, were razed without major disturbances and that similar drives had been undertaken previously as part of a continued monitoring and removal campaign. Authorities reiterated that building without valid approvals remains prohibited, and any such encroachments will continue to be subject to strict action pending resolution of underlying land ownership disputes.Read more

26 Feb 2026

The Telangana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TG-RERA) has stepped up enforcement against developers and promoters for issuing pre-launch advertisements that contravene regulatory requirements under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 by failing to display valid TG-RERA registration details or by using non-compliant promotional material. TG-RERA has issued show-cause notices to multiple prominent real estate entities after identifying advertising that either omitted the mandatory registration number, used incorrect font standards or misrepresented project status, such as promoting registered layouts as full residential developments. The authority has warned promoters, agents and advertising platforms that marketing or soliciting investments before obtaining formal registration is a violation of the Act and could attract penalties and further action. Projects must be registered with TG-RERA and include the unique registration number visibly in all advertising before sales or promotion can lawfully occur.Read more

26 Feb 2026

The proposed Sonepur greenfield airport in Bihar has moved forward after receiving site clearance from the Union civil aviation ministry, with the state government initiating the tender process. Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the project could help Bihar develop into a major aviation hub in South Asia. Spread over more than 4,200 acres, the airport is planned with a 4.2-km runway and an estimated INR 1,302 crore earmarked for land acquisition, along with supporting road and bridge infrastructure.Read more

Mumbai News Desk

26 Feb 2026

The Bombay High Court has ordered a formal survey and demarcation of the University of Mumbai's Kalina campus land, instructing the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai to remove encroachments identified after the process. The university had challenged a slum rehabilitation plan, claiming slum dwellers had occupied land earmarked for institutional expansion. The court allowed the university to withdraw its petition while safeguarding its land rights. Past disputes involved developer appointments, revenue record issues, and interim project stays. Parties may still legally contest the demarcation.Read more